KENNESAW, Ga. (Oct. 29, 2012) — The United States Green Building Council has awarded Prillaman Hall its coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.

The certification acknowledges the building’s compliance with a stringent set of standards developed by the United States Green Building Council. It rates performance in five key areas: sustainable site development; water efficiency; energy efficiency; materials and resources; and indoor environmental quality.

“We worked very hard to develop a building with a learning environment that focused on the future and sustainability,” said Richard Sowell, dean of the WellStar College of Health and Human Services. “We are very pleased to have received this LEED designation. Prillaman Hall provides our faculty and students an environment that facilitates the best in educational methodology.”

Among the green initiatives at Prillaman Hall are low-flow toilets, motion-detected lighting, a shower for faculty or staff who walk or ride a bike to work and a system to recapture rainwater for irrigation. Additionally, recyclable wood and locally produced bricks were used in the construction of the sprawling 200,000-square-foot building.

Health, wellness and diversity were the faculty-identified themes for the building, according to David Bennett, associate dean for planning, communication and infrastructure.

“I was pleasantly surprised at how much the idea of sustainability and environmental consciousness meant to our students and faculty,” Bennett said. “I knew that in our major disciplines, respect for our environment was honored and encouraged, but the level of pride for the LEED Gold designation has been seen throughout the College of Health and Human Services. This building is really an educational tool to help students and faculty understand steps that lead to sustainability.”

Prillaman Hall is the second building on campus to receive LEED Gold-certified status and the third to be LEED-certified. The Social Sciences Building was the first LEED-certified building on campus, receiving a LEED Silver certification, while The Commons student dining hall was the first to garner LEED Gold certification. The new Science Lab Addition has garnered a LEED Gold certification designation precertification. The certification process for the new addition is expected to be completed next year.

“’Proven Innovative’” design technologies have been incorporated into the Science Lab Addition, including daylight harvesting, lighting controls, 'chilled beam' air conditioning systems and energy efficient management systems and controls, all features which make this building a very safe and technologically advanced building,” said campus planner Paul Underwood.

In related news, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents awarded Kennesaw State the 2012 Sustainability Award for Energy Performance on the recently completed Science Building Lab Addition, Oct.25th at the USG Facilities Officers Conference in Savannah, GA.

# # #

Kennesaw State University is the third-largest university in Georgia, offering more than 80 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including doctorates in education, business and nursing and a new Ph.D. in international conflict management. A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population of more than 24,600 from 130 countries.